The US military is flying surveillance drones as well as manned aircraft over Nigeria to help in the search for more than 200 schoolgirls kidnapped by Islamist extremists, the Pentagon said Wednesday.
The United States has deployed the robotic Global Hawk, which flies at a high altitude, and the manned MC-12, a turboprop plane heavily used in Afghanistan, for the mission, a defense official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told AFP.
The Pentagon had initially declined to say publicly if drones were being used but acknowledged on Wednesday the robotic aircraft were involved in the hunt to find the girls.
“I can confirm that we’re using both manned and unmanned aerial ISR (intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance) assets in the search for the kidnapped girls,” Colonel Steven Warren told reporters, without identifying the plane models.
Both types of aircraft that were deployed are “unarmed” and are being used strictly for surveillance to help track the location of the missing schoolgirls, he added.
The unmanned Global Hawk, designed to succeed the U-2 spy plane, can survey a vast area of about 40,000 square miles (100,000 square kilometers) in a day with its sophisticated radar and sensors.
Data from the spy planes is not yet being shared with the Nigerians, however, as Washington was still working out an agreement to govern the sharing of intelligence, Warren said.
The Americans insist on precise protocols on how intelligence can be passed on to other countries, fearing that sensitive information could fall into an adversary’s hands.
The commander of US forces in Africa, General David Rodriguez, paid a two-day visit to Nigeria this week to discuss how Washington can aid the government in the kidnapping crisis, including an accord on intelligence sharing.
Boko Haram extremists abducted 276 girls from the remote northeastern town of Chibok in Borno state on April 14, and some 223 are still missing.
The militants on Monday released a new video purporting to show some of the girls.
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Hope America is not going to take advantage of the missing school girls to penetrate into the already porous nigeria military base. In return now wedging war on nigeria to fulfill there prophesy that the country will disintegrate after 100yrs?
ReplyDeletei am suggesting to nigerians to engage in serious prayer so that this people will not use the opportunity to enslave us. It is very very rare that this people assist a nation without droping any element of of atrocities. the atrocities could be in any form. Please we need prayers more than anything now.
ReplyDeleteYour very correct my dear
DeleteDo you want help or not? Why all the fuss about US intentions? I have always held the opinion that Nigeria can not continue this force marriage. We are gonna divide eventually. This marriage instituted by the British will not work. Casing point (Pakistan and India) Sudan guess what, Ukraine doing it now by force. No force marriage ever work.
ReplyDeleteIf we are senseless and killing ourselves in the name of religion, politics, ethnicity etc why won't the super powers come? Ofcause they are coming to exploint us as usual but should we fold our arms and watch this evil - boko haram continue to abduct our daughters, rape them and sell them as slaves? Should we fold our arms and see these terrorists killing innocent souls, vandalizing and stealing ppls properties? Shld we keep mute and see them islamizing this country? If our northern elders are so sectional and only thinking of their religous and political gains and shut their eyes to this evil naturally help will come but not without a price. After all the high and the mighty are the ones sharinng the oil money, the west and america have come to forcefully take their share. God help us.
ReplyDeleteIn any case America is preferable to Britain .
ReplyDeleteWe are worried and talking about how our girl will be recued and you are chatting of the country you prefer,NA WAA 4 U OOOOO
ReplyDeleteFellow Nigerians, I would rather suggest we allow them to work, just few days ago, we were all relieved and congratulated the president's courage for approving foreign assistance, today we are now becoming pessimistic about the allies. Iet us be positive, lets not weaken their good intentions, like some people have said, let us all return to God. (2Chronicles 7:14, Isaiah 55:6,7) God rescue our dear country.
ReplyDelete